So... I'm sorry everyone, but this is my last chapter for a while. I'm gonna go to a trip to Outward Bound over my Fall break! YAY! I will probably break my leg, fall off a cliff while rock-climbing and other fun stuff! Just kidding. But I sadly won't be able to update, as I will be out in the wilderness, probably wishing that I could take a shower.
So, I put up this chapter, and 5 in the same day so I won't leave you at a total cliff-hanger, like last chap. I'd be happy to come back to some reviews... heh. I'll be back Friday night, and It'll try to put a chapter up then, soon as I can. But... enjoy my chapter! REVIEW!! I'll be totally away from civilization, killing myself (but having fun!!) so I'll be eager to see the Internet again.
I introduce Black Raven and Hatred in this chappie! Hope there's not too many mistakes... REVIEW!!
Chapter 6: Hatred
A shape rose from the ground, a huge scarlet bird. It slowly transformed into another Raven. Hatred, or as some called her, Rage, stood before Raven. She was called many things. Hatred, rage, malice... But Raven thought of her as Hatred. Her hood up, she took a step towards Raven. She had the trademark of Trigon: four evil red eyes, and a blood red cloak.
Raven pulled her hood up to hide some of her face. Hatred gave a spiteful smile, filled with disgust. "Trigon has already won, Raven. I'd suggest you give up." Hatred's red eyes narrowed, and then seemed to look down. She was staring at the red edge of Raven's cloak. Her mouth curled into a smirk, looking up into Raven's eyes. "Good, Raven. Seems he's already in control."
Raven tried to keep down the rush of fury she felt. Her face probably showed it anyway. Hatered was different then anything she had expected. She had been prepared for anger and violence, not this cold, indifferent voice. "You may think he's won, but no one's controlling me," Raven's voice sharply pierced the air. "I've beaten him before. I WILL again. How would you like to be chained up again, this time, forever?!"
"Ah, so you dare speak at last," Hatred growled. "I know your mind, Raven. I know that you're angry, aren't you? You hate me, don't you? I'm part of your mind, Raven, and I'll always be there. Careful Raven. Don't make anything explode, now." Taunting, Hatred drifted to one side, staring closely at Raven. "You might... hurt somebody."
Raven felt her hands clench to fists. She knew she had to keep her emotions under control. She wanted to punch the sneering Hatred right in the face. But that wouldn't hurt her, or help. You can't kill your own emotions. It wasn't fair, Raven thought bitterly. Hatred and all of her other emotions can do anything- express anything, without hurting anyone. Raven couldn't even allow herself to get angry. The red stains on her cloak reminded her of that.
"Careful of your thoughts, Raven. I know all of them." Hatred shot Raven an especially hateful look. "I also know why you're here. You want to see my little... companion don't you? Black Raven has more to her than it looks."
Levitating off the ground, Raven swiftly drifted past Hatred, her power coming out in a black wave behind her. It was no use talking to Hatred. She would only get her angry, and Raven wanted to avoid that more than anything. She would have to find Black Raven.
"You do know, she's not really an emotion, don't you, Raven," Hatred's creepy voice called out. Raven stopped, listening against her will. "...Too bad I can't tell you. You hate me, and believe me; I hate every inch of you. Of everyone. Of your pathetic little friends, whom I will crush... Actually, I won't crush them. You will."
"Trigon will take over you, Raven. And when he does... your little "friends will be destroyed, as well as the city."
Raven swirled around. "Liar!" She hissed, struggling to keep her rage down.
"I don't lie. That isn't my job. Tell you what, I can't lie. All I know is, Trigon will have control of you, Raven. You will cause deaths... many of them. And you know what? I'm rather looking forward to it."
"SHUT UP!" Raven screamed. Crackling from her hands, black power whirled around her, uprooting trees and crumbling rock. Black birds flew away, though some were smashed under flying rocks. The ground under Raven and Hatred exploded, and fell, tumbling into space. Hatred smiled maliciously, levitating.
"You will pay for that," Raven snarled, her voice now almost the same as Hatred's. Black power whirled around her, thrusting Raven's hood back, and sending her cloak blowing through the wind it made. "I will make you PAY!" Black energy gathered in Raven's hands, crackling and more powerful than ever.
"Impressive, Raven," Hatred commented. "You are a perfect daughter to a demon."
The insult stung Raven, and she suddenly realized what she was doing. In a flash, the energy flowed back into her, and her eyes were back to normal. Raven gracelessly fell back to the earth, and stared at the area around her. Many ravens lay dead, the birds, crushed under trees or earth. Hatred's prediction had already started to come true. The path had a huge gap, where the power had ripped away at it. All of the red lights surrounding it had exploded.
Hatred let out a cruel laugh.
Sitting on the ground with her cloak spread around her, Raven could see that the blood-like red had consumed it even more. The redness reached around two feet from the bottom of her cloak now. Raven quickly stood up, touching her cloak. It was not wet, like it had been dyed, but dry, and full of power.
"Excellent, Raven. Your power is even stronger now." Raven shot a furious look at Hatred, but now knew enough not to say anything. Levitating away, Raven hurried towards the doorway, past Hatred, past the large rip in the rock path.
"Oh but Raven, does this mean you do not feel the need to know who Black Raven is?" Raven's hand nearly touched the doorway, but she hesitated. Glaring, she turned her head ever so slowly, her eyes burning. "Ah, I won't keep you waiting," Hatred told her, mockery and sarcasm just oozing from her voice.
Hatred levitated farther down the path and over the destruction of the path, still watching Raven. "Why don't you show yourself," the red-cloaked Raven asked the darkness. "You should really meet who's' mind you are possessing."
Blackness came up from the ground, past Hatred, and near to Raven. Only about two yards from Raven, a Raven came up from the ground.
Cloaked in black, she stared boldly at Raven. Her eyes were not like Hatred's, but similar. They were yellow. And there were four of them, just like Trigon. This Raven was strangely unclear, like a dark ghost. Her feet nearly faded away. But Raven could feel her presence, and knew she was real.
Reaching out her claw-like hands, the Raven spoke. "Raven," She murmured, her voice different than any of the others. It had no set emotion, and was not quite evil, but better described as dark and secretive.
Raven turned completely around to look at the Black Raven. "Who are you? What emotion do you represent?!"
"Emotion," the Black Raven repeated, thoughtfully. Her face showed emotion, curiosity. But... who was she really?
"Yes, why have you come and what are you? Don't try to hide it from me either." Raven stepped forward, and the Black Raven still stared, looking curious.
Raven was surprised. The Black Raven did not sound exactly evil, but she was in Hatred's area. She obviously went along with Hatred, and had the four eyes... But that didn't change the fact that whatever the Black Raven was, she wasn't quite...there. A dark ghost of herself, the Black Raven seemed to be fading away.
"Not fading. But coming. Not quite here yet." Raven was annoyed at the seemingly ability for her different sides to read her mind, but she couldn't read their minds. She also was still waiting for her to speak a complete sentence.
Obliging Raven, Black Raven spoke again. "I am not an emotion. Not really. You wish to know what I represent." It was not a question, but a statement.
Black Raven flew close to Raven. Too close. Raven glared into her face, at the glowing yellow eyes. She resisted the urge to move back, probably because if she did, she would go out the door leading to Hatred's area.
The Raven with the black cloak stared into Raven's face. Amusement was clear in her face, as was the visible interest.
"I feel all emotions. I can do anything I wish, when I am fully in your mind." As if to prove the fact, the dark Raven's face broke into a smile. Not a nice one, but a smile. She leaned closer to Raven.
"I represent the hold your father has on you." Raven blinked, and stared. "I am growing stronger. And when you give in, I will be full again."
Raven stared, wide-eyed. That had been the last thing she expected the Raven to say! "Yes Raven. Trigon is nearly in control. You can't stop it. And you can't win."
Raven stared. Black Raven laughed, a light-hearted one. "Delay it all you want. I can wait." Not knowing what to say, Raven's face turned into an angry frown. Her eyes burned with hatred for both Ravens. They watched silently. Black Raven smirking, Hatred watching without an expression.
Without another word, Raven slid backwards into the doorway, slipping through the dimension.
She was back in the main part of her mind. Past the doorway, she could only see a continuation of the dark mind around her. Raven watched the doorway, backing away, to see if Hatred or Black Raven would follow. They didn't.
Raven turned and levitated just above the ground, looking calm, but thoughts racing through her mind. Should I stay with the Titans? Can I? That could be the truth... In fact, maybe it's best I go as far away as I can, before he takes over.
Despite her thoughts, as Raven quickly journeyed through her mind, Raven was reluctant to leave. However annoying, she didn't want to leave the Teen Titans. She considered the possibility that if she kept her anger under control, maybe the redness wouldn't grow anymore one her cloak. Maybe...
Raven found she did not know where she was going. She decided she had to leave her mind, and now. Lost in her own mind, she continued, waiting to find a Raven to show her to the Forbidden Door.
Not wanting to admit that she didn't want to leave the Titans, Raven concluded in her mind that she couldn't leave, because they would ask questions. They would want to know why she was leaving, and insist on helping... blah blah. Raven wondered that if she meditated all day, is she could keep from getting angry. She considered it...
Raven almost passed by Gray Raven, who huddled in a corner, trying not to be seen. Raven strode up to her, not caring how badly she frightened the terrified Timid. "Lead me to the exit. Now."
Timid, afraid, paused. She shuddered, seeing Raven's cloak. It was almost half red now, looking like someone had dipped it in blood. Timid trembled, eyes very wide. Tears shone in them.
"It's NOT blood, now do as I say!" Timid flinched pitifully, and quickly walked down a new path, Raven nearly treading on her heels.
Timid finally spoke. "It...it was a bad idea, w-wasn't it," She whispered, hunched over and miserable. "I warned you," She added gloomily in a miserable voice.
"It was a perfectly good idea," Raven lied sharply, causing Gray to wince again. I just didn't heed Intelligence's warning... I wasn't careful.
Timid gave a sad look at Raven. "I...If He takes over... your mind will be changed, y... you know."
Timid stared into Raven's identical eyes. She quickly sent Raven flashes of thoughts through Raven's head. A scene of Raven's whole mind as it was in Hatred's area. With the red sky and everything. Scenes of the other emotions chained up, and little black ravens perched in trees.
Raven blinked, and then snapped, "That won't happen, Timid. You're just too... pessimistic." Yeah, of course, Raven. Make excuses.
"That doesn't mean I'm stupid," whispered Timid. Raven pauses, searching for something to say.
Raven spotted the Forbidden Door at last. Leaving Timid to her thoughts, Raven flew over her and quickly landed in front of it. Without a backwards glance, Raven disappeared into the portal.
Timid shuddered, and slowly walked away.